Pen-guide and finger-rest



(No Model.)

I. BERGMANN. PEN GUIDE AND FINGER REST.

No. 559,666. Patente d May 5, 1896.

mew/0'" v BY UNITED STATES PATENT Fr es.

IGI AZ BERGMANN, OF FORT MADISON, IOIVA.

PEN-GUIDE AND FINGER-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,666, dated May 5,1896.

Application filed March 14, 1395. Serial No. 5il,804 (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IGNAZ BERGMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pen-Guides and Finger-Rests; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention is a pen-guide or rest, designed as an improvementon the device patented to me the 7th day of May,-1SS9, by United StatesLetters Patent No. 402,796. In this invention I aim to provide means forretaining the finger-ring and the elastic penloop in proper positionsrelative to each other, or, in other words, to prevent the finger-ringfrom turning on the finger to adjust the penloop into an awkwardposition for writing, and to prevent the pen-loop from moving on thefingerq'ing, so that the pen-loop will always remain in proper relativeposition to the finger-ring, and to receive and guide the penstaff.

With these ends in view my improvements consist in the construction andarrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the samein the accompanyin g drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 is an elevation looking at one side of my improvedpen-guide. Figs. 2 and 8 are similar views illustrating differentembodiments of my invention. Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 are views illustratingmy improved pen-guide, in which the pen-loop is adjustably connected toa perforated finger-ring. Figs. 7 and S are views in which a splitfinger-ring is closed by a removable stop or rest. Figs. 9 and 10 aredetail views of other modified constructions of my pen-guide. Figs. 11,12, and 13 are detail enlarged views of the interposed connector or linkbetween the finger-ring and the pen-loop.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings.

As in my prior patent, I employ a fingerring A and an elastic loop D,which is connected with the finger-ring, and into which loop D isadapted to be thrust the staff or holder of a pen, pencil, orpencil-case. The ring A and loop D are combined and arranged to form animproved pen-guide,designed more particularly for use in teachingnovices in the art of writing the proper manner of holding a pen orpencil, to attain proficiency and accuracy in writing, although thepen-guide may also be used by writers in general. By providing theelastic loop to receive the stafi the loop is made to yield or give tothe movements of the pen in the act of writing, while at the same timesaid loop operates to hold the pen or pencil at the proper slant.

My improvements relate more especially to the means whereby thefinger-ring and the pen-loop are maintained in their proper positionsrelative to one another to prevent the pen-l0op from moving to aposition where the pen-loop will hold the penholder in an awkwardposition for writing. These results may be attained in a variety ofways; but in each instance I propose to have the finger-ring entirelycontinuous on its inner perimeter and practically continuous on itsperiphery or outer edge.

In Fig. 1 the ring A is shown with a split portion at, extending asuitable distance between the inner and outer edges thereof, and saidring has a rest B, formed at a suitable point thereof opposite to theend of the split a, which opens through the outer edge of the ring A. Inthis case the rest B is in the form of a lug or shoulder which projectsbeyond the perimeter or outer edge of the ring A. \Vhen the ring is wornon the forefinger, this lug or shoulder B will take or bear against thesecond or middle finger of the hand, and the rest thus serves to preventthe ring A from turning on the forefinger. The pen-loop D is connectedto the ring A by the intermediate link or connector 0, which isinterposed between the loop I) and the ring A. This connector is fittedon the loop D and into the split a of the ring, which divided parts ofthe ring A are elastic and operate to clamp the link or connector G inplace, although the link is capable of a limited adjustment around thering within the divided part thereof.

In Fig. 2 the split ring is shown with a rest of a diiferent form-thatis, a concavity or recess E is cut or produced in the outer edge orperimeter of the ring at a point diametrically opposite to the openingor slit extending outward to the outer edge of the ring. This concaverecess serves the same purpose as the projecting lug or shoulder 13-4..6. the second or middle finger of the hand rests against or within thisconcavity and prevents the ring from turning on the forefinger, on whichit is worn. In this embodiment of my invention the pen-loop is connectedto the split ring by the intermediate link or connector C.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the split ring A provided with the projectingrest B at one point and with the concave rest E at a point aboutquarter-way round the ring from the proj ecting rest B.

In Fig. 4 the ring A has a concave rest on one side and a series ofapertures F on the opposite side. The link 0 may be adjusted in eitherone of these apertures to bring the pen-loop D in proper position. Fig.5 shows the perforated ring with a projecting rest B, and in Fig. 6 thering has the two forms of rest-i. c., concave and projecting-with theseries of apertures to provide for the adjustment of the link 0 andpen-loop D. I may provide the split ring with a cavity g at the pointwhere the split a opens through the outer perimeter of the ring, leavinga solid continuous inner edge to the ring, andin the ring is produced ininternally-threaded socket it, into which is screwed a threaded tenon ion a removable lug I. This lug is shaped and proportioned to fit in thecavity 9 and to project beyond the outer edge of the ring A, and thisdetachable lug is fitted or seated snugly in the cavity 9 to close thesame and the end of the slit, thus preventing the link or connector Cfrom slipping out of or from being detached from the split ring. Thisapplies equally to the devices shown by Figs. 7 and 8, although in Fig.8 the ringis shown as provided with theconcave rest E.

In lieu of slitting or perforating the ring I may use a solid ring witha concavity E on one side thereof and with a link or connector whichembraces the ring and is slidable thereon, as shown by Fig. 9.

To facilitate the operation of connecting the link to the ring, I mayform a transverse inclined slit j, which extends through the in ner andouter edges of the ring, and through which slit the link 0 may beintroduced or withdrawn. I may, however, use a continuous ring with arest of either form (either a concave recess or a projecting lug) andcombine therewith a divided link or connector, such as shown in Figs.11, 12, or 13. The division 0 in the link 0 may be formed at the angleor corner between the straight and bowed bars thereof to adapt the linkto be easily connected to the solid or perforated ring. The link orconnector is provided with a notch c at its free end to form spacedshoulders, Fig. 13, between which loop D is fitted, to hold the loopagainst displacement or movement on the connector and in proper relativeposition to sustain the pen-staff. I may, however, form the link with areduced portion to provide a single shoulder to hold the loop inposition, as shown by Fig. 11 of the drawings.

It is thought the operation and advantages of my improvements will bereadily understood from the foregoing description in connection with thedrawings.

I am aware that the pen-loop may be connected to the fin ger-rin g invarious ways other than in the ways Ihave shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pen-guide, the split finger-ring having a cavity at the end ofthe split portion, combined with the stud seated in the cavity andclosing the split portion of the ring, a link, and a pen-loop,substantially as described.

2. In a pen-guide, the finger-ring split for a portion of its length,combined with a protruding lug which confines the end of the splitportion of the ring, and a pen-loop, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IGNAZ BERGMANN.

IVitnesses:

GEO. G. HAESSIG, A. E. THITNEY.

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